The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Has Transferred Documents Concerning Polish-Ukrainian Relations from 1939 Through 1947 to the Sectoral State Archives of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance

Within the framework of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative to make archival documents on the history of Polish-Ukrainian relations from 1939 through 1947 publicly available, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has handed over to the Sectoral State Archive of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance 15 declassified case files in 32 volumes comprising 5,384 pages concerning the sociopolitical and economic situation in Western Ukraine and Poland during that period, as well as interethnic relations between Poles and Ukrainians. This marks the first time the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has transferred archival files from the soviet period to the Sectoral State Archives of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.

Among the transferred files there were: cases concerning the political and socio-economic situation in Poland; the activities of Polish nationalist parties, organizations, and armed units in the territory of today’s western regions of Ukraine and the then Poland in 1944–1945; former commanders of the Polish Home Army; guidance from the nkvd of the ussr and other agencies regarding the anti-soviet activities of the Polish nationalist movement; and agents infiltrated by soviet secret services into the OUN, Polish parties, and formations.

These materials clearly reveal the large-scale activities of soviet secret services aimed at destroying the Polish underground, which, in general, had a significant impact on the destabilization of Ukrainian-Polish relations during that period.

Besides, a number of documents handed over contained instances of understanding between Ukrainians and Poles, including leaflets distributed by representatives of the Polish underground calling on the Ukrainian population to join forces against the common enemy – the Nazi and soviet regimes – as well as leaflets and appeals from the OUN to Poles urging mutual understanding.

During their presentation, representatives of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine pointed out that when compiling the documents, the chekists deliberately selected negative examples of the activities of the OUN, the UPA, and Polish nationalist organizations. This was done to portray the Ukrainian national liberation movement and the Polish anti-soviet underground in a negative light, to discredit them in the eyes of the public, and to justify measures aimed at their brutal suppression and liquidation.

The handover of the case files took place on September 8 at the H. Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine as part of a presentation of the historical and geographical program infrastructure “Victims of the Polish-Ukrainian Conflict of 1939–1947”. This infrastructure is part of the research project of the same name, launched by the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance in 2018. It contains documents from central, regional, and sectoral archival institutions in Ukraine pertaining to chapters in the history of relations between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples.

This event marks one of the first practical steps in implementing the President of Ukraine’s initiative aimed at resolving sensitive issues in shared Ukrainian-Polish history. At the same time, it is one of the ways to counter russian disinformation and propaganda narratives designed to manipulate history and undermine Ukrainian-Polish relations. The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine will continue to facilitate the publication and transfer of documentary materials that are important for strengthening constructive dialogue and developing good-neighborly relations between Ukraine and Poland.